Multiple port valve assembly



1961 B. H. KRYZER ET AL MULTIPLE PORT VALVE ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 3, 1959 NW N mm w 3 fi/ E: m as Qmw 5R 1 Z M. rr e N m 5K0 7 W4 4 JA M mw/ 5P United States Patent 3,007,482 MULTIPLE PORT VALVE ASSEMBLY Benjamin H. Kryzer, St. Paul, and Richard G. Thompson, Stillwater, Minn., assignors to Union Tank Car Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 837,920 6 Claims. (Cl. 137-119) This invention relates to improvements in multiple port valve assemblies of the type having a fluid pressure responsive main valve and a control or pilot valve which is connected by a flow passage to the main valve and adapted to be actuated to cause the main valve to move from one position to another.

It is an object of our invention to provide a novel main valve of the class described having a movable closure member and a seat therefor adapted to be readily removed as a unit from the valve casing for repair or replacement.

A particular object is to provide in a multiple port valve of the class described a novel and reliable closure member comprising a flexible elastic bag defining an internal chamber and adapted to be deformed or expanded and contracted in response to variations in the internal fluid pressure relative to the external fluid pressure to which the bag is subjected.

Our invention also includes certain other novel features of construction which will be more fully pointed out in the following specification and claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates by way of example and not for the purpose of limitation a preferred embodiment of our invention:

FIGURE l is a horizontal sectional view of the valve assembly taken through the axes of the main valve and pilot valve, and showing the valves in a first position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view show ing the bag assembly or main closure member in a second position, and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary cross sectional views taken on the lines 3-3 and 44 of FIG. 1.

In the drawing a main valve casing is indicated generally by the numeral 6. This casing is formed with an inlet chamber 7 adapted to be supplied with fluid under pressure through an inlet port 8, a first outlet chamber 9 having a port 10 communicating with the chamber 7, a second outlet chamber 11 connected by a port 12 with the chamber 7 and a third outlet chamber 13 connected by a restricted passage 14 to the chamber 9 and port 10.

A main valve closure member comprises a flexible elastic bag 15 enveloping the exterior of a rigid cup 16. This cup and bag form an interior chamber 17 which is connected by a nozzle 18 to the outlet chamber 13. The bag 16 is fastened at one side to a coaxially disposed fixed stem 19 having a threaded connection 20 with a removable casing member 21, the latter having a threaded connection 22 with the casing 6.

Within the chamber 17 a compression spring 23 abuts at one end against an inner surface of the cup 16 and at the other end against an end surface of the nozzle 18 so that this spring biases the cup 16 to expand the bag 15 to the position shown in FIG. 1. The connection between the bag 15 and stem 19 comprises an annular flange 241formed on the bag and fitting tightly in an annular groove formed in the stem. The open side periphery of the cup 16 fits loosely about the outer periphery of a head 19a formed on the stem 19 so that the cup is movable from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 2. At its side opposite the stem 19 the cup 16 is formed .with a stud 25 which projects in coaxial relation to the stem 19 through a central opening in the bag 15 and is formed with a threaded exterior surface to receive a nut 26. A gasket is placed between the nut 26 and the bag 15 so that the cup pressure condition therein.

3,007,482 Patented Nov. 7, 1961 As shown in FIG. 4, the outer periphery of the nut 26 is formed with longitudinally extending ribs 26a which center it in relation to a bushing 27. This bushing is fixed in an annular bearing in the casing 6 and has an end which projects slightly within the chamber '7 to provide an annular seat for the bag 15 at the inner end of the port 12. It will be evident that the port 12 is defined by the outer periphery of the nut 26 which is spaced from the in nor cylindrical surface of the bushing 27 by the ribs 26a.

The externally threaded portion 22 of easing member 21 has a sealed connection with the casing 6, the illustrated seal being an O-ring 28. A tubular extension 29 of the member 21 has an O-ring seal 31) with an annular internal surface of the casing 6 to prevent leakage past the exterior of the extension 29 from the inlet chamber 7. The inner end of the extension 29 is formed with an annular seat for the bag 15 when in the position shovm in FIG. 2. Radial openings 31 are formed in the casing member 21 to place the port 10 in continuous communication with the chamber 9. By this construction we facilitate the removal from the casing 6 of the entire main valve closure member and one of its seats including the bag 15, cup 16, nut 26, the stem 19 and casing member 21.

A pilot valve indicated generally by the numeral 32 (FIG. 1) is connected to the outlet chamber 13 by a tube 33 and is adapted to alternately cut off or establish flow from the chamber 13 to a fitting 34. This fitting may be connected to a waste outlet or other conduit subject to relatively low pressure, e.g. atmospheric pressure, in installations where relatively high pressure fluid is supplied to the inlet chamber 7. The passage through the valve 32, when open, is substantially larger than the restricted passage 14 so that when valve 32 is open fluid is drained rapidly from the outlet chamber 13 thereby creating a low As shown, the valve 32 is spring biased toward closed position and operatively connected to a solenoid 35 which, when energized, opens the valve. It will be evident that this valve may be actuated manually or by any suitable power actuated orremote control means.

As illustrated, the casing 6 is particularly adapted for use in connection with water treatment apparatus of the automatic or semi-automatic type. Thus the casing 6 may have its inlet port 8 connected to a hard water'supply pipe, its chamber 11 connected to a soft or treated water outlet and also to a treatment tank-connected conduit 36. Outlet port 9 may be connected to a tank-connected conduit 37 and the fitting 34- of the valve 32 may be connected to a waste outlet subject to atmospheric pressure.

In operation, when the bag 15 is in the position shown in FIG. 1, the valve 32 being closed, water or other fluid under pressure enters through the inlet port 3 and chamber 7 and flows through the port 10 to the outlet chamber 9 and thence to the conduit 37 or other place of disposal. When the valve 32 is closed the internal and external pressures on the bag 15 are substantially equal and the, bag is expanded by the spring 23 and cup 16 to retain" it in position to close port 12 and open port 10. To reverse the position of the main valve the control valve 32 is actuated to open position, thereby suddenly reducing the pressure in and discharging fluid from tube 33, chamber 13, nozzle 18 and chamber 17. The reduced pressure condition at the tip of the nozzle 18 draws fluid from the internal chamber 17. As a result relatively high pressure in the chamber 7 acting on the exterior of the bag 15, actuates the cup 16 to compress spring 23 and force the bag 15 against its seat at the outer periphery of the port 10, as indicated in FIG. 2. This closes port 10 and opens port 12 so that fluid from the chamber 7 flows through port 12 to the outlet chamber 11 and conduit 36 or other place of disposal. Simultaneously fluid may be discharged from outlet chamber 9 through passage 14, chamber 13, tube 33 and valve 32 to waste.

To remove the main valve assembly from the casing 6, the tube 33 and valve 32 are detached from the casing member 21 and the latter is removed from the casing 6 by unscrewing the threaded connection 22. It will be evident that the nut 26 is thus withdrawn from the bushing 27 and that the readily removable assembly includes the stem 19, nozzle 18, bag and cup 16. Both seats for the bag 15 are thereby made accessible for cleaning. This assembly may then be separated into its component parts for replacement of worn parts or for cleaning or repair.

We claim:

1. A multiple port valve assembly for directing fluid selectively from an inlet to a plurality of outlets comprising casing means having an inlet chamber and first, second and third outlet chambers, a pressure inlet port in open communication with said inlet chamber, first and second outlet ports in open communication with said first and second outlet chambers respectively and disposed in the path of flow from said inlet chamber to said outlet chambers respectively, a first passage connecting said third outlet chamber to said first outlet port, a valve member movable in said inlet chamber to selectively close either of said first or second outlet ports, said valve member comprising an annular elastic bag enveloping a movable cup member, a valve stem coaxially disposed to said bag and cup and having a fixed connection with said casing means, said bag having an annular flange embracing and secured to said stem, a second passage connecting the interior of said cup and bag to said third outlet chamber, said bag being deformable under difierences in internal and external pressure thereon to selectively close either of said first or second outlet ports, means for biasing said bag and cup toward closed position in relation to said second port, and a control valve connected to said third outlet chamber and defining a flow passage having an outlet subject to relatively low fluid pressure whereby upon the opening of said control valve the pressure within said bag and cup is reduced to actuate said valve member from closed position in relation to said second port to closed position in relation to said first port.

2. A multiple port valve assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which said first passage connecting said third outlet chamber to said first outlet port is restricted and substantially smaller than the flow passage through said control valve and its outlet.

3. A multiple port valve in accordance with claim 1 in which said cup has a coaxially disposed threaded stud and coacting nut for securing the bag to the cup at the side of the cup opposite to said fixed valve stem.

4. A multiple port valve assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which said means for biasing said bag and cup toward closed position in relation to said second port comprises a spring confined in an internal deformable chamber defined by said bag and cup.

5. A multiple port valve assembly in accordance with claim 3 in which said second outlet port is defined by an annular bushing fixed in said casing member and a peripheral surface of said nut, the latter fitting slidably and in spaced relation to said bushing.

6. A multiple port valve assembly for directing fluid selectively from an inlet to a plurality of outlets comprising, a main casing member having an inlet chamber and first and second outlet chambers, a second casing member having a threaded connection with said main casing member and formed with a third outlet chamber, a pressure inlet port in open communication with said inlet chamber, first and second outlet ports in open communication with said first and second outlet chambers respectively and disposed in the path of flow from said inlet chamber to said outlet chambers respectively, a third outlet chamber formed in said second casing member, a first passage connecting said third outlet chamber to said first outlet port, a valve member disposed in said inlet chamber and movable to selectively close either of said first or second outlet ports, said valve member comprising an annular elastic bag enveloping a movable cup, said bag and cup defining an internal deformable chamber, a valve stem coaxially disposed to said bag and movable cup and having a fixed connection with said second casing member, said bag having an annular flange embracing and secured to said stem, at second passage connecting the interior of said deformable chamber with said third outlet chamber, said bag being deformable under ditferences in internal and external pressure thereon to selectively close either of said first or second outlet ports, means for biasing said bag and cup toward closed position in relation to said second port, and a control valve connected to said third outlet chamber and having an outlet subject to relatively low fluid pressure whereby upon the opening of said control valve the pressure within said internal deformable chamber is reduced to actuate said valve member from closed position in relation to said second port to closed position in relation to said first port.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,335,923 Dube Dec. 7, 1943 2,906,281 Pillote Sept. 29, 1959 2,907,462 Webb Oct. 6, 1959 

